French Defend Right To Sunbathe Topless But It’s Political

French women are allowed to go topless on most French beaches but the subject is becoming controversial. As police ordered the cover up of several women, the Minister of the Interior was forced to defend the ‘precious’ right of women to decide for themselves in a situation that is quite complicated.

On 25 August, French police told women to cover up in the coastal resort of Sainte-Marie-la-Mer in south west France, near Perpignan; a family had asked the police to act on their behalf. The Town Hall later clarified that there is no rule preventing topless sunbathing in the town after a social media firestorm.

The Minister for the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, took to Twitter to defend the right for women to dress (or not) as they wish on the beaches of France.

There is no rule banning women being topless on French beaches but it is not allowed on city beaches such as those along the river Seine in Paris.

There is no national law banning someone being totally naked anywhere in France, but there is a law against disturbing public order. There is a ban on what you can wear in certain places–the burkini (a full-body swimsuit) is banned, for instance, in public swimming pools.

Men can also go shirtless in public (the law banning it was abolished in 1994) but many local authorities frown on it and some give out local fines for doing so.

Known as the “monokini”, wearing just bikini bottoms is sometimes banned under local laws, but there are posters to advertise that it is not allowed. If you still decide to go topless, you might be fined €38 ($45).

However, whilst there are still a lot of nudist beaches in France, the act of “le topless” is becoming less and less common, particularly amongst younger women.

What started in the 1960s and particularly the riots of 1968 turned into a revolution and although initially denounced as “un Christian”, by 1975, half of all women were topless on French beaches–helped in no small part by Brigitte Bardot going topless in Saint Tropez. As reported by The Local, by the mid 1970s, 75% of the French public approved. It was a way to prove that a woman was liberated and free from patriarchal pressures.

By 1984, just 43% of women were sunbathing topless and by 2016, it was 29%. For women under 35, however, this figure drops as low as 2%.

Now, just 2 in 10 women go topless, with many of the younger generation being very much against the idea.

For many, it’s because of increased fears over skin cancer and over-exposure to the sun. For others, it’s because times have once more changed and due to increased “pornification” of women, many are becoming more modest, declaring that they feel “loose” when they sunbathe topless. They are also worried about being filmed, attacked, or their body being critiqued.

Also, women have increasingly campaigned topless in political protests and some women don’t want to be seen as campaigners for something they don’t believe in.

But it might not last. A recent study conducted during lockdown, found that many young women were beginning to question the wearing of bras and had increasingly ditched theirs while working from home–1 in 6 women under the age of 25 (18%) reported that they now never wear a bra (four times higher than before the lockdown).

Attitudes can change quickly; six months ago, it would have been ridiculous to suggest that France would stop La Bise, a peck on each cheek as a greeting, but in summer 2020, that is exactly what has happened.